Intro
The Flying Ostrich is one of the possible evolutions from the Ostrich. This Ostrich may appear in the world in the next 45-50 million years. This section will show the changes of the flying Ostrich and its new habitat.
'Flying Ostriches will stay in Africa although Africa connected with Europe'
Habitat
The habitat of the Flying Ostrich is quite different from the Ostrich. The flying Ostrich lives in mountainous areas pretty much all around Africa. Similar to the Ostrich, the Flying Ostrich can be adapted to many different kinds of harsh environment.
Flying Ostriches live in groups and are able to eat different kinds of food. Different to its ancestor animal, the flying ostrich develops teeth for it to tear food, so that it does not need to eat rocks. Many land animals found in future Africa sees the flying ostrich as a hard animal to catch because it develops the ability.
'PIcture of how a Flying Ostrich's living place look like'
Adaptations Structural adaptation 1
One of the major differences of the Flying Ostrich to the Ostrich is that it has a smaller body. It is around a quarter smaller than the Ostrich, which makes it lighter. The size is around 1 meter to 2 meters at max. Because it has a smaller size, it needs less food to survive.
This decrease in size, besides helping it fly, also helps the Flying Ostrich to be more agile than before and can stay at high places where they are free from danger, as other land animals may develop larger and more powerful.
Structural adaptation 2
Another big difference the Flying Ostrich has from the Ostrich is the length in foot. The legs of the Flying Ostrich will become significantly shorter than an Ostrich’s. Although this will slow their speed on land, the ability to fly will become important in the future. Still, the Flying Ostrich is not really that slow, as it can still run up to 20km/h.
The environmental pressure as mentioned above to cause this change is due to more usage of the wings. As legs become less useful and wings become more, their legs shorten and their wings get longer. This is all because of potential predators and of the rising sea level. Global warming will probably lead to the rise of ocean level, which means that much of the flat Africa grounds will disappear under the water. Then, Flying Ostriches do not need to be extinct because they have the ability to live in higher lands.
'labelled diagram of flying ostrich'
Behavioral adaptation 1
Flying Ostriches start to develop a more aggressive mind in the future world. When other animals offend them by intruding into their homes or staring strangely at their young, they would immediately chase down the animal and may hit it with the wings or even kick it.
This behaviour is developed due to a very competitive world, as food and territories are mroe valued. The Flying Ostriches learnt that they had to fight back some times in order to protect their home lands and not to run away all the time.
Behavioral adaptation 2
Instead of lying on the ground and pretend to be a rock like the Ostrich, Flying Ostriches will coil them self up when in danger and stay on trees. Their color will be a natural camouflage with the tree and they will not need to run away from predators every time. They put their heads in close to their body and becomes silent, not miving a bit so as not to be seen by predators such as future lionsor cheetahs.
Physiological adaptation
The digestive system of the Flying Ostrich is comparatively weaker than that of an Ostrich. The intestines become less thick are can be cut easily if sharp objects are accidentally eaten. As they have finer food, their digestive system weakens because of there is no more need for digesting hard foods and contact with rocks.
Flying Ostrich- The Volatilis Struthio camelus
Scientific Classification
Intro
The Flying Ostrich is one of the possible evolutions from the Ostrich. This Ostrich may appear in the world in the next 45-50 million years. This section will show the changes of the flying Ostrich and its new habitat.
'Flying Ostriches will stay in Africa although Africa connected with Europe'
Habitat
The habitat of the Flying Ostrich is quite different from the Ostrich. The flying Ostrich lives in mountainous areas pretty much all around Africa. Similar to the Ostrich, the Flying Ostrich can be adapted to many different kinds of harsh environment.
Flying Ostriches live in groups and are able to eat different kinds of food. Different to its ancestor animal, the flying ostrich develops teeth for it to tear food, so that it does not need to eat rocks. Many land animals found in future Africa sees the flying ostrich as a hard animal to catch because it develops the ability.
'PIcture of how a Flying Ostrich's living place look like'
Adaptations
Structural adaptation 1
One of the major differences of the Flying Ostrich to the Ostrich is that it has a smaller body. It is around a quarter smaller than the Ostrich, which makes it lighter. The size is around 1 meter to 2 meters at max. Because it has a smaller size, it needs less food to survive.
This decrease in size, besides helping it fly, also helps the Flying Ostrich to be more agile than before and can stay at high places where they are free from danger, as other land animals may develop larger and more powerful.
Structural adaptation 2
Another big difference the Flying Ostrich has from the Ostrich is the length in foot. The legs of the Flying Ostrich will become significantly shorter than an Ostrich’s. Although this will slow their speed on land, the ability to fly will become important in the future. Still, the Flying Ostrich is not really that slow, as it can still run up to 20km/h.
The environmental pressure as mentioned above to cause this change is due to more usage of the wings. As legs become less useful and wings become more, their legs shorten and their wings get longer. This is all because of potential predators and of the rising sea level. Global warming will probably lead to the rise of ocean level, which means that much of the flat Africa grounds will disappear under the water. Then, Flying Ostriches do not need to be extinct because they have the ability to live in higher lands.
'labelled diagram of flying ostrich'
Behavioral adaptation 1
Flying Ostriches start to develop a more aggressive mind in the future world. When other animals offend them by intruding into their homes or staring strangely at their young, they would immediately chase down the animal and may hit it with the wings or even kick it.
This behaviour is developed due to a very competitive world, as food and territories are mroe valued. The Flying Ostriches learnt that they had to fight back some times in order to protect their home lands and not to run away all the time.
Behavioral adaptation 2
Instead of lying on the ground and pretend to be a rock like the Ostrich, Flying Ostriches will coil them self up when in danger and stay on trees. Their color will be a natural camouflage with the tree and they will not need to run away from predators every time. They put their heads in close to their body and becomes silent, not miving a bit so as not to be seen by predators such as future lionsor cheetahs.
Physiological adaptation
The digestive system of the Flying Ostrich is comparatively weaker than that of an Ostrich. The intestines become less thick are can be cut easily if sharp objects are accidentally eaten. As they have finer food, their digestive system weakens because of there is no more need for digesting hard foods and contact with rocks.
Bibliography
-Page Paleontological Science Center. How the future world might look like. Retrieved July 25 2010, from http://www.lakepowell.net/sciencecenter/future.htm
-ABC science. (2010). Ostrich head in sand. Retrieved July 26 2010, from http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/11/02/1777947.htm